


hellbent.

by azuriri



Category: Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Blood, M/M, More tags will be added as the story progresses, Vampire AU, Vampire Hunter! Stanley Snyder, Vampire! Xeno, set loosely in the late 1800s
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:15:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27282514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azuriri/pseuds/azuriri
Summary: In this world, vampires are the greatest threat on Earth. Both Xeno and Stanley work for the Vampire Hunting Association. Xeno as their leading scientist and Stanley as the captain of the most elite unit of the hunters.With the worst of luck, Xeno encounters a vampire on his way back home from another town. He is not a hunter, he cannot win.
Relationships: Stanley Snyder & Dr. Xeno, Stanley Snyder/Dr. Xeno
Comments: 11
Kudos: 31





	1. 1. The Bite

Stanley watched the vampire that he had just shot scream in agony as the silver bullet with an infused centre of holy water took effect. The vampire’s pale skin slowly turned a light shade of pink before rapidly transitioning to a deep red, then black before the vampire disintegrated. The only thing left behind was the clothes the vampire wore. Personally to Stanley, he found vampires to be extremely vile and disgusting creatures and thanks to the bullets, it automatically cleans the mess up. Days of piling dead and quickly rotting vampires on a wooden wagon are over.

The rags of the vampire were nothing more than peasant’s clothing. Tattered brown shirts and pants with the texture of a potato sack. It wasn’t uncommon for peasants to be turned into vampires, they were the most vulnerable. Stanley can’t even count the amount of times he hunted down vampires of whom he saw begging on the streets weeks earlier. They were weak and didn't last very long as a vampire. Either their morals get in their way and they refuse to feast on human blood, or a vampire hunter gets them before they can kill. The second scenario is the most likely and most often scenario since new vampires need blood in twenty four hours before they lose control and go rabid.

There were stronger vampires in the land and befittingly so, they were called the Vampire Lords. They ruled over their domains and so far, are the only ones known to actually be able to turn into bats. To kill one of them was not only the most dangerous mission, but also the greatest honour if they were killed. Stanley managed to kill one of those fucking bastards. Left him in the worst shape of his life but at least he can claim that he has successfully killed one.

“Hey Snyder are you done with your section?” Brody, another vampire hunter, called out. 

“Yeah, I killed the fucker not too long ago,” Stanley replied, examining the number of bullets he had left. The long silver bullets were manufactured by Brody as he was the leading blacksmith in the association. The design of the bullets on the other hand, were created by Stanley’s lover, Dr. Xeno. 

Xeno, unlike Stanley, worked in the Vampire Hunting association not as a hunter like Stanley and Broy were, but as the association's leading scientist. It was because of him, that their weapons became more efficient and the technology they had to track them down were much more accurate. Sometimes Stanley worries though. He stays cooped up in his laboratory all day and night, refusing to sleep or eat. 

“Think we’re done for the night? The sun will be rising soon and that alone will take care of a number of those vamps,” Brody questions, looking out east for the sunrise. Brody and Stanley often paired up for their missions but since Stanley preferred to work alone and so did Brody, they usually separated, killed whatever vampires they spotted in their section and met back up once again. 

“I think so. The new radar Xeno created seems to be reading pretty well and mine says that there’s none around,” Stanley says, taking out the radar Xeno created. It was the size of a pocket watch and worked similarly to a sonar radar. Stanley watches the line move across the display and nothing shows up. 

“Handy little bugger your boyfriend made. I still don’t understand how it works though,” Brody chuckles, taking out his own radar and watching for any vampire readings. 

“Something about how the signal when it bounces off a vampire is different and isolating it to make sure it appears on the thing. I don’t know, this stuff isn’t what I normally look at,” Stanley shrugged, lighting up a cigarette. Unfortunately for Stanley, cigarette smoke tends to make vampires avoid him as the smell is incredibly painful for their sensitive noses. But now that Stanley has finished, he can finally smoke. A breath of “fresh” air for his aching lungs.

“Xeno talked my ear off the other day about that habit of yours,” Brody mentions as they begin heading into town to clock out for the night. Stanley raised an eyebrow, slightly displeased that Brody had been conversing with Xeno behind his back. 

“It’s not what it seems you green eyed monster. When he gave me the blueprint for the new silver bullets, he kept complaining about how every time you kiss him, all he could taste is cigarette breath of yours.” 

“And why is our kissing of any concern to you? I’d keep my nose on my face if I were you,” Stanley said, glaring at Brody. Sighing, Brody raised his hands up in surrender. 

“Wasn’t my fault just so you know.” The town was quiet as Stanley and Brody walked down the main street. A couple of windows emitted a light glow from it as people began to wake up for their jobs. There were a small number of people who were actually out on the streets, mainly those handing out newspapers to every doorstep were out and about. 

“Were there lots of vampires out last night?” one of them asks as he passes by Stanley and Brody. 

“Not as many as usual but these devices Dr Xeno made sure makes hunting them a lifetime easier,” Brody answers. Stanley never was one for the… fan service the town gave them. 

Being a vampire hunter wasn’t an easy job and the risk factor is so high, there’s barely anyone who’s willing to do it. This is why (Stanley believes) people praise them so much. Their own cowardice is the reason why there’s not a lot of vampire hunters anymore. Too many were dying and not enough were signing up. At this rate, there won’t be enough hunters to kill them and humanity will be nothing more than farm animals. 

Brody and the man kept talking as Stanley stood idly by, smoking the last of his cigarette. He really had to save these ones because they were specially made from Xeno as a gift to Stanley for Christmas. They honestly tasted disgusting and if he had bought them, he would’ve demanded him money back. Xeno claimed they contained some sort of substance that will help with his addiction but the two of them know that Stanley won’t stop smoking any time soon. However, despite their taste, Stanley made sure to make them last as long as humanly possible just because Xeno made them specifically for him. Not for some random drunk down the street but for Stanley only. 

“Let’s go,” Stanley says to Brody as he begins to walk towards the large cathedral in the middle of town. Brody hastily says goodbye to the man before catching up to Stanley. 

The cathedral was tall and grand, the most eye catching thing in the town. Stone gargoyles stood motionlessly, guarding the cathedral from evil spirits. Statues of the apostles lined the entrance, looking like they’re floating in air as they watch people come and go. The spires, despite being different as they were built in two different eras, together their complexity unifies them. The rose window was the centerpiece of it all. Colourful glass expertly weaved together that when the light passed into the cathedral, a rainbow of light filters onto the floor. 

Inside was just as grand as the outside but Stanley was only interested in what’s in the altar. Three people sat bored by it. Luna was the person in charge of keeping watch that night and her two bodyguards, Max and Carlos were always seen with her. 

Pulling out his weapons, Stanley took a glance around the cathedral. “Is Xeno still in his laboratory?” he asks, handing Max the weapons as Carlos opens up the hidden armory and pulls out Stanley’s regular pistol that he carries around in the day. 

“I think so, I didn’t pay attention,” Luna huffed as she continued to stare down the nave at the large doors, looking like she’s expecting someone. Stanley glared at her which instinctively caused her to flinch. He has never hurt her, and he has no reason to. Stanley knows he’s intimidating and oftentimes like this, where he doesn’t want to wait around for a bullshit answer, he uses it to his advantage. Besides, it was Luna’s job to know who walks in and out of the cathedral. Apparently, she wasn’t even doing that properly. 

“I’m going to ask again. Is Xeno still in his lab-” Stanley repeated before Carlos interrupted him. 

“Oh he mentioned to me that he was going to be out of town to grab some sciencey stuff!” He informs Stanley and Stanley’s glare doesn’t ease up. He had specifically told Xeno not to go out of town without him. If there’s a way, a building, a tree, _anything_ to block the sunlight, then a vampire can survive during the day. They can hide and they can kill if the person enters the darkness with them. Someone like Stanley has a chance at surviving but Xeno, the smartest man he knows but he is simultaneously one of the most physically weak men he knows. Albeit, this is why their dynamic is so great. They fill each other’s flaws. For what Stanley lacked, Xeno made up and the same goes the other way. 

“He better gets back before dark,” Stanley growls, causing both Max and Carlos to look at him anxiously while Luna is confused at the ordeal. 

* * *

To get the things Xeno wanted, he had to travel two towns over. The duration of the trip wasn’t going to be easy but the train definitely made the journey quicker. 

The station was bustling with people. As the season was getting colder, many wore thicker clothes or layered up to preserve the warmth their body emitted. Xeno managed to take one of Stanley’s many hunting jackets. For two reasons actually. 

Reason Number One: Despite working for the Vampire Hunting Association, Xeno possessed no weapons to defend himself with. In the case of an emergency, he will need some weapons. He knows Stanley always leaves weapons around the house (the first time startled Xeno as he was confused as to why he found a silver knife lodged under Stanley’s side of the mattress) but Xeno also knows he keeps weapons in his jackets. Taking the weapons outside of the shifts meant a hefty fine, especially with the number of weapons Stanley managed to take. Though, Xeno is thankful for Stanley’s reputation as the captain of the most elite unit of the vampire hunters. This meant Stanley had leeway for almost everything he did. 

Reason Number Two: Stanley hasn’t been home lately due to the surplus of vampires in the area. He works all night, sleeps on the benches of the cathedral and once the sun sets, he’s out again. It was physically taxing and there was no way Xeno could keep up. He usually works in the basement of the cathedral, conducting experiments, forming hypotheses and doing research for tools that would benefit the hunters. Caught up in his work, it was extremely common for Xeno to lose track of time and spend ungodly hours working. After all, science was amazing and the elegance of its practicality was a serotonin boost for him. Back to the second reason; because he rarely saw Stanley, he took his jacket because he misses him. 

Nevertheless, Xeno must hurry if he wants to make it back home before sundown. If it does set and he’s not back yet, he’ll have no choice but to rent a room at an inn to stay the night. It’s too dangerous to risk travelling home alone at night, for both men and women. The only ones who might stand a chance alone are the hunters but even so, the casualty has been so high it only worries him. 

He mainly worries for Stanley who prefers to hunt by himself. It didn’t matter how much Xeno pleads Stanley to hunt with a partner, Stanley would absolutely refuse to. 

“You must Stan! You can’t fight solo, it’s impossible!” A nasty argument has broken out between Xeno and Stanley over the topic of Stanley’s new promotion and what it can entitle him to do. 

“It’s not impossible. Besides, if I can kill the Vampire Lord in this region, I doubt these small fries can do anything to me,” Stanley counters, lighting those dreadful cigarettes before breathing in the toxic fumes it creates. 

“And you’re letting that go to your head! Your ego is all swollen up and now you think you’re on top of the world. But what if a vampire bites you? There’s no second chances to that.” Xeno was fuming at this rate. Why can’t Stanley see how irrational he’s being?

“So? We’re all bound to die one day. There’s no second chances to life anyways,” Stanley exhales, letting the smoke disappear into the air. 

“Well would you want to be a vampire?! They’ll have you killed, you know!” 

“And I’ll be righteous and accept my fate.”

“That’s not the point!” 

“Then what is?” Xeno looked at him in disbelief. Is Stanley that willing to toss his life away? He’s willing to die all for the sake of hunting alone? Xeno couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t accept it. Though what really hurts Xeno is that Stanley doesn’t seem to consider how _Xeno_ felt. Xeno is worried for his lover, yes. But upon the proposal that Stanley will head out to the field as a group but complete his missions by himself inflicted a fear that dwelled deep in Xeno’s soul. 

Knowing that Xeno couldn’t trust himself to speak, he left the room in a hurry and locked himself in the bedroom. Stanley obviously takes notice and goes after him but Xeno slams the door shut in his face. The lock mechanism isn’t hard to pick and Xeno knows Stanley can do it but he just needed some time to himself. 

Throwing himself onto the bed, Xeno slammed his face into the pillow and cried. The pillow is efficient in both the clean up and the muffling of his sobs. He can hear Stanley call out to him but Xeno won’t open the door. If Stanley is so willing to die and cause Xeno so much pain, then getting locked out won’t mean anything to Stanley. 

Xeno hears the click of the door being unlocked and the obnoxious creak that follows when Stanley swings the door open. Stanley’s footsteps were light even though his footwear was heavy and bulky. The bed dips on Xeno’s left side. 

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Stanley says quietly, rubbing Xeno’s back as he tries to soothe him. It takes a moment for Xeno to stop crying for once he starts, he finds it extremely difficult to suddenly stop. Once one tear drops, they all fall down like a waterfall. 

“Hey what’s wrong?” Stanley asks agan, feeling guilty yet confused as to why Xeno stormed out on him like that. Xeno sobs in the pillow, his cries muffled. Xeno can hear Stanley sighing before he realizes that Stanley is pulling him up and into his arms, cradling him like a toddler. Refusing to let Stanley see his face in such a despicable manner, he moves into Stanley’s touch and cries onto his shoulder instead. The wet patches of Xeno’s tears on Stanley’s shirt would be obvious but that wasn’t Xeno’s biggest concern. Wrapping his arms under Stanley’s own arms, Xeno pulls himself closer to Stanley. He hugs Stanley tight, as if it was the last time he was going to feel Stanley’s warmth again. 

“Don’t…” Xeno mumbles, hiccuping as a result from his crying. “Don’t go alone,” Xeno pleads, eyes shut and pressed onto Stanley’s shoulder. Unaware to Xeno, his hands were clasped tightly on the fabric of Stanley’s shirt, pulling it towards Stanley’s spine and letting the shirt hug his toned body. 

“Please Stan,” Xeno mutters out, “please. I can’t live without you. I’m scared that you’re going to die.” Stanley’s arms wrap around Xeno’s, trapping him in his embrace. He places a long and fruitful kiss on Xeno’s forehead.

“I’m not going to die. You know it. There’s no one better than me at hunting vampires. Not a single one of those bastards are going to touch me. Not a single one you hear?” Stanley reassures as he pushes back Xeno gently and lays a proper kiss on his lips. The kiss was sweet, although it didn’t taste like it. The cigarette scent that Stanley had smoked was still lingering on and in his mouth. Xeno absolutely detested it. But it was Stanley’s and he’s willing to overlook anything for him.

The argument didn’t win in Xeno’s favour but sure enough, Stanley has kept his word. For two years, Stanley has hunted alone and still has the highest kill streak in the association. Sometimes a scratch or two but he was never bitten. It helped Xeno relax a bit over time. Though he could never truly stop worrying about Stanley. Xeno’s job guarantees his safety. Sitting in a lab, conducting research, never seeing a live vampire in his life. Stanley’s is a gamble. Is he going to come back safe, injured or dead? Or worse off: a vampire. There’s no chance in saving Stanley if he’s turned. 

It takes Xeno five hours to reach the town and another six to get what he came for. Silver is already hard to get and using electrolytic cells, they were already trying to cut costs by plating it onto cheap metals dosed in holy water. They’re not as effective as pure silver but there simply isn’t enough to make bullets, knives and other weapons. The “silver” that supposedly went into charms and jewellery for the public were nothing more than polished steel. Only the rich could afford silver but even so, the amount of silver in it wasn't enough to dispel a vampire. Burn them, perhaps, but the less than 1% of silver wasn’t going to leave much more than that. 

The scientists of this town and Xeno were working together for months on creating an effective synthetic type of silver, allowing them to create them at an industrial level but at a lower cost. They have been tested on dying vampires some of the hunters managed to keep alive. The effectiveness was only 80% of pure silver but it is much higher than the 30% of the plated silvers. 

“Are you sure you won’t stay for the night? It’s going to get dark soon.” Xeno waved the scientist off. 

“It’s alright, I’ll make it back in time. I don’t want Stan to worry about me too much,” Xeno responds, tucking the bags of synthetic silver into Stanley’s jacket. Hopefully he’ll make it back fast enough to have the hunters test them right away. That was Xeno’s goal the entire time. To waste a day of testing all for the sake of travel. No, Xeno was going to make it back to the cathedral in time to have Stanley test them. 

Xeno had to get on the next train quickly if he wanted to make it back before sundown. Though exiting the town’s own cathedral makes Xeno realize the unfortunate timing of his. It was the dinner rush hour which meant that the streets were crowded and maneuvering through them was going to be difficult. Not to mention, Xeno was worried about pickpockets and thieves taking advantage of this commotion. From what Stanley had told him, pickpockets and thieves use crowds to hide themselves in the open. 

“But there are more witnesses then.”

“Not if you’re good. You swipe a wallet from an unsuspecting customer and leave immediately. If someone notices you, the crowds will hide you,” Stanley smiles, putting a cigarette in his mouth and taking a deep breath. 

“Elegant! Truly elegant! Not in the face of law but a tactic such as that is elegant!” Xeno, who rarely heads out to the streets to buy anything and just has Stanley go for him, is amazed at the strategy thieves use. 

“Doc, you used elegant three times in that one statement. Are you sure you’re a world class scientist and not some nerd hiding in a basement?” 

Pulling his jacket closed, Xeno hustled through the crowds. Bumping shoulder to shoulder with people, weaving through queues for meat and produce, avoiding scammers, Xeno remembers why he prefers to eat dinner late at night. He hasn’t been out in a dinner rush hour for years and he doesn’t regret it. 

Rushing into the station, Xeno anxiously hopes the last train heading home hasn’t left yet. But, just like the market, the station was filled with people. 

“What’s with this timing?” Xeno groaned as he made his way over to the ticket booth. The man smoking a pipe behind the counter looked way too at ease for one of the busiest times of the day. 

“Excuse me, I would like a ticket for the Eastern line” Xeno asked, out of breath. The man looked at Xeno and took the pipe out of his mouth. The man looked at Xeno lazily as he pulled out a ticket.

“50 cents son.” Xeno dug into his pockets and dropped the coins onto the counter and grabbed the ticket. The time stamped for the arrival of the train was five minutes from now. He just has to get to the platform in time. Pushing his way through the crowded station, Xeno’s only focus was on catching that train home. It was very much life or death. 

“All aboard the Eastern Line! Train leaves in one minute!” a member of the train crew shouts as Xeno hops onto the car. Inside was fairly empty as most people were coming to this town and not from it. Though it was a good thing for Xeno as there were a lot of empty seats around. 

Xeno preferred to sit by the window. It gave him something to look at during the train ride and the natural lighting was great for reading the newspaper, academic papers or for writing. Xeno enjoyed doing these things on trains as the peace and tranquility helps Xeno stay focused. There were too many things in his lab that distracted him. But on the train, just the mild rocking and the scenery there to distract him. Not to mention, it was easier staying focused if Stanley wasn’t always teasing him with kisses and surprise tickles. 

However this time, Xeno was exhausted. A day’s worth of travelling was certainly taxing. His shoulders and back aches like an old man despite being in his mid-twenties. Always hunched over his work is what Stanley says the cause was but Xeno believes it’s more along the lines of having to carry all of his and Stanley’s worries as Stanley never seemed to be. Careless, yet calculated. Fearless but tactical. So many things Xeno could pinpoint as Stanley’s faults but there was always a reason why Stanley is so accomplished. 

Xeno didn’t know when he fell asleep but when he awoke, mass panic erupted in him. The sun was on the horizon and there was still one more stop before his own station. If Xeno could make the train go faster, he would but there was no way he could do that. 

A crew member walks down the aisle and up to his seat. 

“Sir, night will soon be upon us and I’m afraid due to the breakdown we had partway, that we may make it to the next stop after sundown. Would you like to exit at the next stop and stay at an inn?” the man asks and Xeno runs through the possibilities in his head. 

According to the sun’s position, Xeno may still have an hour to get home. If this stop is short then the train would get moving in fifteen minutes. His stop is half an hour from here. That gives him fifteen minutes to head home. Ah, but he’s not Stanley. He can’t run home in fifteen minutes that would be insane for him. The cathedral then. It’s a five minute walk and if he can make it there, then he would be safe. He might also be also to catch the hunters in time before they leave. Give them the synthetic silver to try out tonight. So to the cathedral it is. 

“No, I will wait for my stop. Just make it quick and don’t dolly around.” As confident and assertive Xeno sounded, he sure didn’t feel like it. Apart from the knife in Stanley’s jacket, Xeno was defenseless. He was smart and can likely form a plan to counter a vampire if need be but he doesn’t have the physical capabilities to actually pull off the plan. If only he didn’t take so long in the afternoon…

When the train arrived at the station, Xeno rushed out and began to make his way over to the cathedral. The streets were empty as they usually were and the lowering sun casted a long shadow onto the cobblestone streets. Clutching Stanley’s silver knife, Xeno continued to make his way over to the cathedral.

“Now here’s something you don’t see every night.” Xeno whipped his head around and fear completely enveloped him. His limbs went stiff and his mind went numb. Xeno had foolishly forgotten. Sun down didn’t guarantee no vampires. It was a curfew for everyone to stay home. As long as there is darkness a vampire can survive.

“Stunned with fear now are you? Well don’t worry, I’ll make this quick. Having the blood of you humans once a night is enough for me to stay alive and I don’t fancy being caught by those wretched vampire hunters. Now come, and let me feed on you,” it said, hissing as it showcased its fangs before lunging at Xeno. 

Finally getting some sense knocked into him, Xeno ran. He ran faster than he ever had in his life. If he stops now, it’s game over. He will not have a second chance. 

“You think you can outrun me? My, my, humans have gotten foolish in the past hundred years.” Suddenly the vampire was in front of him. This wasn’t a skill a vampire should have. They shouldn’t be able to teleport or have super speed! Unless this was… 

“I’m sorry human but I am no Vampire Lord. And I am no teleporter or super speed runner. Let’s just say, some of us vampires can run a little faster than you pathetic humans.” It smiles before lunging at Xeno, plunging it’s fangs into Xeno’s neck. 

“No, no, no!” Xeno thought as he squirmed beneath the vampire. Something, anything! He needed to kill the vampire. Xeno can feel his blood getting sucked out, his head getting dizzy from the lack of blood. Was this it? Everything done for naught? 

No. It wasn’t. Xeno pulls the knife from Stanley’s jacket and plunges it into the vampire, causing it to scream in pain. There was no time to waste. Xeno pulled the knife out and stabbed it again, and again and again. The sizzling of it’s skin can be heard and the smell of burnt flesh fills the air. It was disgusting, horrifically so. But Xeno couldn’t stop staring at the black and soulless eyes of the vampire. Contrasting so heavily on the pale white skin, blood—Xeno’s blood—dribbled down it’s chin, looking a deep shade of red in the shadows. So this was a vampire. This was the first vampire Xeno has ever seen alive and fought. What a terrible combination.

The vampire squirmed in pain and Xeno, having no energy left in him, plunged the knife back into the vampire for good. Xeno watched as it stopped moving. Double checking if it was truly dead didn't matter since they didn't have a pulse to begin with. Truly an undead creature. Though with the lack of blood in his own system, Xeno can feel his own life drain away as he collapses onto the ground. 

“I’m sorry Stan,” Xeno thought, too weak to even whisper them. Never had Xeno believed that he was going to be killed by a vampire. He chastised himself for being so stupid. Who was he to believe he was never going to succumb to this fate as a scientist. Xeno felt a burst of admiration for the vampire hunters. They deal with this every night and yet on Xeno’s first encounter with a vampire, he could do nothing but stab it with a knife whose blade is no more than three inches long. How pathetic of him. His eyelids grew heavy and without a fight in him, he closed them.

Until he reawoke again. Eyes wide and tireless. Xeno rose from his position and craned his neck. On the side of it was the painful physical evidence of what happened moments ago. That the vampire that laid in front of him was real. And that the thing poking annoyingly at his tongue, were fangs. Aching and hungry fangs.

Xeno has reawoken as the enemy of the human race.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't really know why i started to want to write a vampire au when my friends tried to make me watch vampire diaries. the verdict? i just couldn't make myself watch another episode
> 
> twitter: @eliem_e


	2. 2. The Inn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reminder: this is LOOSELY based in the 1800s so one of the things i’m referencing is the currency. due to inflation, the prices seems a lot cheaper to us today but (with the help of a calculator) $0.50 back then is like $10 today.

Xeno stumbled back in shock. No, no, no. He couldn’t be turned into a vampire. There was no way it was that quick. He needed verification. Yes, no conclusion is concrete unless there is evidence stating it is true. Stumbling over to an adjacent storefront, he peers into the glass hoping to see his reflection. The darkness surrounding him should be enough for his reflection to shine through. If he sees it then it was all the confirmation Xeno needed.

Xeno squinted at the glass, trying to see himself in it. He sways left and right trying to catch just a glimpse of his reflection. He raises his arm and lowers it again. He repeats this maneuver several times, with his right, left and both arms but he still sees nothing. All he could see were the shops behind him, the reflection of the doors, signs and lamps were reflecting back. Everything but Xeno himself. This can’t be… 

In a fit of panic, Xeno rushes over to the dead vampire. The knife he stabbed him with is plunged deeply into it’s right lung. It’s blood has already soaked a quarter of its clothing and in the little gap between the knife and shirt, Xeno can see the burnt flesh that came into contact with silver. Clasping his hand around the hilt of the knife, Xeno pulls it out. The silver knife is coated with blood but it slides off easily as it steadily drips onto the body. The light coloured blood, running at almost the same consistency of water was the same shade of red as pomegranate skin.

“ This knife is made of plated pure silver. If I’m truly a vampire, then I shouldn’t be able to touch it,” Xeno whispered to himself. The white metal gleams at him, almost begging him to touch it. This would be the tell tale. There should be no way that he’s a vampire if he can touch it. With a shaking hand, Xeno reaches out to touch the silver. 

Upon contact, a loud sizzling can be heard and Xeno screams in pain. Dropping down to his knees, Xeno clasped a hand over his mouth to muffle himself. Words can’t even describe the pain he felt. Tears welled up in his eyes, it was almost unbearable. Xeno was stunned and all he could do was sit in agony, attempting his damn best not to alert anyone. He needed to get out of there. There was no way he could stay. 

Haphazardly staggering across the street, Xeno needed somewhere to hide. If he gets to Stanley then he would know what to do. He would know how to help Xeno. He would… 

Stanley would kill Xeno. Stanley wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t going to let his relationship with Xeno get in the way. If there was anyone on this planet who could hate vampires with every fibre of their being and meant it, it would be Stanley. If he went back to the Cathedral, if he went back home in this state, Stanley or one of the other hunters will kill him. They were all trained to do so. Trained to kill any and all vampires, whether they were friends, family or the bitch you hated all your life. The hunters cannot let their emotions override their decision making skills. Stanley definitely would not let his emotions take control of him. Xeno needed to find somewhere else to stay the night. 

His hand was still burning in pain when Xeno walked down every street, trying to find a lodging low profile enough that no one would find him. But he needed to do something about his hand first. 

Finally taking a peek at his hand, the sight was not pretty. Blisters were already forming on the pads of his fingers where they came into contact with the silver. They were red, almost black and the skin was already peeling. There was a rustling in the distance effectively breaking Xeno’s attention on his hand. In panic, Xeno ducked inbetween two storefronts. 

If it was a hunter, they’ll shoot on sight. They will give no room for hesitation. Even if they’re civilians, they shoot before they think. As a scientist, Xeno believes it is a poor concept and leads to unnecessary bloodshed but in the account of everything, there’s no other choice. Better to shoot the vampire than to second guess it and let it escape. 

The only way for a civilian to prevent themselves from getting killed by the hunters is to stay indoors during the curfew. But Xeno was a vampire now and as much as his hatred for them still lingered, he also didn’t want to die. Peeking around the corner, Xeno examined his surroundings. Filled with graciousness, Xeno was relieved to see no one there. Only a piece of newspaper flapping from under a rock. 

Looking at his hand with all the burns and blisters that littered his fingers, Xeno thought that wrapping it up with the newspaper would be best. Of course it’s unsanitary and he will need to thoroughly wash it out with proper alcohol, but he didn’t have the tools to do it currently. He would just have to improvise. Besides a person walking around at night with burnt fingertips will surely alert the hunters. 

Quietly coming out of the alleyway, Xeno rushed over the paper and wrapped it around his hand. Thankfully the side facing upwards looked relatively cleaner than the dirt covered bottom. Securing it with a paper clip he has in his pocket, Xeno was glad that he finally didn’t have to constantly see his injured hands. He’ll have to purchase gloves. 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Xeno can finally focus on finding an inn to stay at. This night was surely turning into a nightmare. Just considering what he has to do just to stay alive tonight was taking a big toll on him. Placing a hand on his neck to help him stretch it out, Xeno realized something else. The two puncture wounds. The infamous bite marks of a vampire. No inn will accept him and they will notify the hunters. Or worse, blast him with bullets until his body looks like a block of swiss cheese. And he won’t even be dead. He’ll just be there bleeding out but not dead. That will make it so much more painful. Xeno needed something to cover the bite mark up. 

Looking around him, Xeno hoped to see at least something that can help cover it. A scarf, shirt, jacket, anything. Or… a belt. Xeno wasted no time unbuckling his belt and tying it around his neck. He can deal with loose, falling pants. Those weren’t going to be a major problem. However, the belt choker rebelliously created an intruding thought in his mind. 

“Maybe Stan will be into this type of thing,” he thought promiscuously. Stanley was never shy in discussing what he liked in bed. He has mentioned that he wanted to try a couple of things and of course that meant that Xeno would be the one suffering in his kinks. From scientist to test subject, Xeno’s dominance over an experiment automatically shifts to Stanley when they were in the mood. 

Wait, what was Xeno thinking? Now is not the time to think about how Stanley will rail him with a belt around his neck. Especially when the very person Xeno thought of was simultaneously his biggest threat. Oh, how was he going to tell Stan? Or should he even tell him at all? Hide it from him? How long will it take for Xeno to start feeling bloodthirsty? How long before he can’t control himself and god forbid… hurt Stanley?

For a renowned scientist who’s known world wide as the best scientist in the Vampire Hunting Association, Xeno was not presentable at all. Newspaper wrapped hand and a belt tied around his neck, God what a horrific sight. Xeno wasn’t known for his fashion sense but this takes the cake. Oh let’s not forget that he was turned into a vampire. Cherry on top. 

Xeno had to make haste before the hunters started their rounds. He knows that this part is under Maya’s jurisdiction and that Stanley commonly passes through here to get to the outskirts of town. And although Maya doesn’t have Stanley’s proficiency with firearms, her raw power is nothing to scoff at. He would have to avoid her at all costs.

There was an inn nearby that Xeno knew of. Not very reputable in it’s quality but perhaps it was exactly what Xeno needed. If he goes through the alleyway he was just hiding in, the inn should be a least a couple of blocks away by then. 

Concealed by the darkness, Xeno returns to the alleyway and makes his way through the trash filled and rat infested passage. In this district of town, it was the worst of the worst. Garbage filled every crevice of surface. Rat infestation was common along with various bugs. The Slums, is what this section is called. Although out in the street it was alright, Xeno had to pinch his nose to block the atrocious scent of trash, rotting food and decaying rodents out. 

“How many do you think we’ll dispose of today Stan?” 

“I don’t know and I don’t care. I will eliminate every last one of them. Those fuckers are going to see my face and know that they won’t see another night”

Xeno freezes. No, they can’t be here already. Xeno never remembered them leaving this early. 

“Aw don’t be like that Stanley!” Brody’s loud voice contrasts harshly against the silence of the night. It echoes and resonances in Xeno’s ears hauntingly. Fear really amplifies every sense in the body. “What got you in this mood?” 

“Xeno’s not back,” Stanley answered simply. 

“I’m sure he’s in the Cathedral or at home,” Maya reassures, cracking her knuckles. This made Xeno all the more nervous. Maya had a terrible habit of cracking her knuckles whenever she was getting excited to fight. She was the only one in the association who killed a vampire using a prototype silver glove that was meant as a defensive measure. She took it, and used it as an offensive weapon. Xeno was too terrified to even swallow the lump in his throat.

“No, he’s not. I checked. If anything happens to him I’ll-” Stanley signals to stop right at the alley Xeno was hiding at. 

Clamping his mouth shut, Xeno internally pleads that none of them really would enter the alleyway. He quickly crouches behind a pile of trash, hoping it was tall enough to conceal him. He was scared shitless. Too scared to breathe. The adrenaline pumping in his veins felt so loud that Xeno fears that it might expose him. Xeno internally begs Stanley not to come any closer. 

The sounds of Stanley’s footsteps ring in Xeno’s ears. With agonizingly slow steps, the heel of his boots on the concrete makes the most frightening sound. Like in a horror movie where the victim knows they’re going to die. No, not like in a horror movie. Xeno was in this horror movie. The person he sought comfort in, the person he loved more than anything in the world, is now his biggest fear. 

“Stanley there’s nothing there, let's hurry up and kill some vampires!” Brody calls out but Stanley doesn’t stop. The anticipation was killing him. Xeno doesn’t know which is louder; the beating of his heart, ready to jump out and kill him if Stanley doesn't or Stanley’s footsteps, ringing like thunder in his head. Xeno stares at the ground in front of him, trying to focus on maintaining his fear so he wouldn’t let himself get caught. 

Then, unexpectedly a rat scurries over Xeno’s feet and if it wasn’t for his hand clamped over his mouth then he would’ve screamed. 

“Fuck!” Stanley yelped and shot at the rat. The poor creature’s guts were splattered over the stone and some of its blood managed to get on Xeno’s face. 

“What was it?” Maya questions as she and Brody walk over to Stanley. Xeno wishes desperately for this whole fiasco to be over. Just how much can he handle tonight? The stress was making Xeno feel like he was going to go insane. He begs over and over in his head for them to leave.

“A rat. It was a fucking rat.” Silence lingered in the air and no one spoke. However, Brody broke it with his booming laugh.

“Bahahaha! A rat scared the great Stanley Snyder! Oh what a story to tell! I’m going to make sure the whole world knows!” Brody is in hysterics over this and Maya joins him.

“Shut up I’m just uneasy today,” Stanley says and Xeno can hear the group walk away from where he was. Xeno waited until he didn’t hear anything for a while before letting his hand drop from his face. 

Sweat ran down his forehead and he was panting. Xeno didn’t realize by using his hand to cover his mouth that he was forgetting to breathe because he was scared of Stanley finding him. How was he going to face him later? He has to confront him eventually right? He can’t just hide forever, Stanley will be willing to form a search party. And the last thing Xeno needed was to avoid a whole search party for him. 

“I’m wasting time, I need to get out of here,” Xeno mumbled to himself and got up from his spot behind the trash. He probably smells like it now but that should be one of the least of his worries. Currently, his goal was to make his way over to the inn. 

Xeno peered into the streets to see if there were any other hunters or vampires out. The street was dark and sullen. All the store fronts were dark and closed but not boarded up. There was no need to. Vampires cannot enter unless given permission. This was one of the flaws that the humans were thankful for. One less thing to worry about. For them… Xeno needed to find a way to make the innkeeper invite him in. 

There were a couple of hunters walking around, not really taking their jobs seriously and drinking on the job. Xeno can hear their chatter from his little hiding spot. He knew that the lower ranking hunters didn’t have the hardest jobs or the most eventful ones but just seeing them milling around not doing anything truly infuriates him. Because they’re so careless, so many hunters like Stanley were in decline. So many of the outer field hunters dying left and right trying to protect the town and these egotistical patrols are screwing around drinking beer. If they knew what it was like to go out every night to actively kill vampires they wouldn’t be so worry-free.

However, the biggest problem right now was that they were hanging out right at the inn that Xeno needed to get to. How was he going to get them out of the way? 

Xeno ran through ideas in his head to make them leave. If Xeno just walks up to them, not only will they recognize him, they will also notify Stanley. If anything, Xeno would be too nervous to see Stanley, vampire or not. He’s been gone for almost twenty four hours, and judging from the conversation Xeno managed to eavesdrop from them, Stanley isn’t in the best of moods. 

But how was he going to get those stupid hunters away from the inn? Digging through his backpack, Xeno looked for anything that could be used. The only things he had that he could use were rubber bands, a roll of tape and a bunch of paperclips similar to the ones he used to keep the newspaper wrapped around his injured hand. 

The only feasible option Xeno had was to make a slingshot to shoot a rock and lure these hunters away to investigate it. In the meanwhile he will run into the inn. Using his hands to try and straighten the clips, Xeno winces in pain as he tries to fight the aches he feels in his injured hand. While it was easier to sleep on the streets and not have to deal with the pain of unravelling the metal, there was a chance that he’ll be discovered by either a hunter or a vampire. Xeno wasn’t too sure if vampires were friendly with each other and he didn’t intend to find out. Xeno was willing to bear with the pain and be in safety at the inn. 

It felt like hours for Xeno to bend the metal and tape them with meticulous care to reinforce the structure on the drawback of the rubber band. Grabbing some rocks nearby, Xeno made some test shots, trying to quickly distinguish any flaws before putting the slingshot in use. 

Trial one resulted in a very weak firing power so Xeno shortened the rubber band to add more stress on the drawback. 

Trial two resulted in too much stress and the frame was bending so Xeno added more paper clips to thicken up the structure. 

Trial three resulted in the rubber band snapping due to too much stress already applied onto it from the previous tests so Xeno replaced it. 

Trial four resulted in just enough firing power and a strong enough frame so that the rubber band will last long enough for a couple of shots. Now all Xeno needed to do was hit something they would hear. The street isn’t going to make a sound loud and odd enough for them to investigate. Hitting one of them (although very tempting) will cause them to remain in place which does not solve any of Xeno’s problems. The street lights were too hard to hit and he didn’t have Stanley’s accuracy. 

Scanning the street for anything to shoot at, all Xeno can think to hit is the windows. They’ll make a loud enough sound and they were a bigger target for Xeno’s novice shooting skills. Loading up the slingshot, Xeno aimed at the window pane of a women's clothing store and fired. 

The rock made a loud pop that against the quiet of the night definitely caught the attention of the hunters. Now Xeno needed to fire another one down the street so that he could safely make his way towards the inn. 

Xeno grabs another rock, a bigger one this time and fires it down at the store to the left the women’s clothing store. Not as far as he had hoped but it will have to do. But it was all Xeno needed to do. Collectively, the hunters standing by the inn all left and walked towards the sound. 

Quietly waiting in the dark, Xeno patiently lingered by the corner before making the mad dash over to the inn. The door was closed and Xeno began to knock furiously at it. 

“Please open up, open up, open up, open up” Xeno silently begged as he glanced over at the hunters investigating the noise he created. On his seventh knock, the door opened and a very tired looking lady stood in the doorway. 

“Look, you came past curfew, we're not going to let you in,” she says before pulling the door close in Xeno’s face. 

“Wait!” Xeno yelled out in panic. Digging into his pockets he pulls out two dollars and fifty cents. The lady peered at it with amusement. 

“You think that’s enough to bribe me? Good try, but that’s not going to be enough to defend me from a vampire. Now get lost,” she rolled her eyes and proceeded to close the door again before Xeno remembered having Stanley’s knife. 

“Here! A silver knife! You can have this too. This is real silver, the very one used by the Vampire Hunter’s Association. In fact this belongs to the one and only Stanley Snyder!” Xeno fishes out the knife, careful not to touch the blade. Xeno was hoping that by using Stanley’s name, it would be enough to convince the lady.

“How do I know it’s legitimate? And why would you have Stanley Snyder’s knife?” God this woman was annoying. Just let him in already. He was wasting time and those idiot hunters would come back at any time. 

“Please, just ask the hunters who were just here to take a look at it. As for the knife, I saw Stanley Snyder toss it out saying how knives were useless to him and how firearms were his preferred weapons,” Xeno lied. That’s not how Stanley is at all. He takes any and all weapons he can get his hands on. And he’s not only efficient in firearms, he excels in all fields that require killing vampires. It’s his hate that got him to be so strong. The truth is terrifying to Xeno, considering what he is now but either way, he needed to get in and this lady was preventing him from doing so.

“Please, that’s the real article. You have to believe me,” Xeno pleads, hating how he sounds.

“Okay but what if you’re a vampire and you’re only trying to get in to kill me and the other patrons in the inn? I’m not stupid you know,” she frowns and crosses her arms in dominance because she thought she was winning the argument. 

“Why would a vampire carry a silver knife with them?!” Xeno exhaled loudly, trying to hasten this woman up. 

She thought about it for a moment. In the Slums, a lot of people weren’t very educated because they lacked the money for education. Xeno just hoped that she was one of them. “Hm, that is a very good point. I guess I’ll let you in,” she said opening the door wider for Xeno to step in and he does. Closing the door for her as he spots the hunters gathering up again and most likely heading back. 

The lady walks up to a wall of keys and hands him one. Xeno snatches it and quickly makes his way up the steep and narrow steps. Halfway up, Xeno rushes back down.

“What’s the strongest alcohol you have?” he asks. The lady sneers at him.

“And what? So you can get drunk out of your mind?” She asks. 

“No, to clean a wound.”

“What are you a doctor?”

“I-, um, no. I just know alcohol helps clean a wound. That’s all I can give you.” Xeno truly wasn’t a doctor but as a scientist he was as smart, if not, smarter than all the doctors in the town. It wasn’t that they weren’t capable. They simply didn’t love science as much as he did nor did they pour as much effort as he did into it. 

“If you were a doctor, I would alert authorities immediately because they’re much too rich to stay in an inn like this. If your clothes weren’t so dirty I would’ve thought you were one of them too. Here let me see if I got something,” the lady says as she shuffles things around from underneath a counter. “We got some Old Overholt rye whiskey,” she announces pulling a bottle out. Xeno walked down the steps and went to grab it before she yanked it out of his hands. 

“What?” Xeno asks, infuriated. 

“You think we’re giving these to you for free?” She says accusingly. Xeno had to resist the urge to punch her. 

“I paid you $2.50 and the Overholt is only $0.25. I’ve paid you enough to buy ten of those stupid bottles,” Xeno says and the lady thinks about and sighs, handing him the bottle. Though she probably wanted to earn enough to sustain herself and this inn, the longer Xeno stays here the more likely she would be able to figure out that he was a vampire. Xeno head back over to the stairs, reading to climb up.

“Oh by the way,” the lady says, halting Xeno. Has she already suspected him of being a vampire? Wait, did she catch a sight of the fangs that he failed to conceal? Xeno’s face pales as he waits for the lady to continue. “You should take a shower. You smell like you’ve been digging in the dumpster. And what’s with the hand and belt?”

“Uh I tripped and fell into the trash which caused me to injure my hand,” Xeno smiles nervously as he slowly walks up the creaking steps. 

“And the belt?”

“Um just the new fashion trend!” If only Xeno could lie properly… 

“Okay… have a good night sir.” With a courtful nod, Xeno rushes up the stairs to evade any more potential questions.

Xeno, with his bottle of whiskey, walked towards his room and entered it. For the price he paid, it was not worth it. The bed was tiny, the floors were dusty and cobwebs littered the corners of the room. The wallpaper was peeling in numerous places and debris was stuck to the adhesive. It was an absolutely disgusting sight but Xeno already worked so hard to get here that all he was going to do is suck it up and deal with it. His number one priority now was to clean his wound and then plan his next steps. 

Heading to the bathroom, Xeno can tell it hasn’t even been cleaned. Rusting pipes for the bathtub and the shower curtains were yellowing. The mirror (which did not show his reflection) had smudges all over it. Never mind that, he only needed the sink to drain the alcohol. Although, to effectively kill bacteria in wounds, the alcohol content must at least be at 60% alcohol by volume. However, the Old Overholt only contains 40%. There’s nothing Xeno can do about that.

Taking the paperclip from his hastily wrapped bandage, Xeno unraveled the newspaper. Surprisingly, the sight wasn’t as bad as he remembered. The blisters have reduced in size and his fingers looked less charred. He has heard how vampires recovered faster than humans but he has never gotten a specimen to confirm that. Now seeing his wounds, it appears that it is true. 

The healing wasn’t significant but in the span of an hour or so it has healed in the progress of a day. What were the effects if he drank blood? Would it speed up the process even more? 

On that thought, Xeno has been so worried about Stanley and the hunters that he didn’t have time to think about drinking any blood. In fact, from his research, newly turned vampires often go insane with trying to drink blood to ease their cravings. But Xeno hasn’t felt that yet. Why? 

Opening the Old Overholt bottle, he rinsed his fingers with it, dumping almost all of it’s content onto them. It stung like a bitch but the pain was necessary if he didn’t want it to be infected. His next problem was trying to find what to cover it with. Gauss would be ideal or a bandage but it would be highly unlikely for him to find any here. He knows there’s some back at the Cathedral and at home. He’s tended to so many of Stanley’s wounds that their home basically had a first aid corner. Looking around the bathroom, the only thing he can use are the hand towels. Though it will be too big to wrap around the individual fingers unlike what he did with the newspaper. 

Shuffling through his bag, Xeno looks for the scissors to cut the towel into strips. 

“What am I going to do?” Xeno asked himself. Even though he has reasonably come to terms with being a vampire, it still didn’t change his perspective on them. They were vile creatures who are controlled by their bloodlust. However, he hasn’t felt the need to have any blood yet. That was extremely bizzare. And not to mention, he hasn’t gone rabid yet. This is his humanity winning over the temptation? 

Stanley said that if he was turned into a vampire he would have no problems dying. But Xeno wasn’t sure if  _ he _ was capable of that. To die rightfully to protect the masses and control the vampire population, even if it was just one person. Xeno couldn’t do that, he can’t. He’s not ready to throw away his life. And it’s not even himself that he’s worried about the most. More than anything, Xeno worries about Stanley the most. He trusts Stanley, of course he does, but there are times where Xeno wishes that the both of them quit their jobs and live quietly in a cottage by a lakeside. Having nothing but themselves around.

Despite convincing Xeno that Stanley was capable enough to defend himself, Xeno can’t get the image of one of his teammates coming one day breaking the news that Stanley died. He can’t, he just can’t get that image out of his head. He can already feel his heart dropping from the news. Yet here he is, pathetically hiding in an inn because he’s scared of Stanley finding out that he was turned into a vampire. What would Stanley feel if he found out that Xeno was a vampire? Would he still love him? Would he try to find a way to convert him back to a human? Or would he kill him without a moment’s hesitation?

Attaching the last paperclip onto his towel wrapped fingers, Xeno has to formulate a plan for the next couple of days. Maybe even years. 

First thing is about his appearance. He can live with the belt around his neck and Xeno can easily cover up his wounds with gloves. Though Xeno commonly works with silver so perhaps creating some claws that extend from the gloves will be necessary. For his own protection. Even if he’s a vampire, Xeno is not going to quit his job. There’s nothing redeeming about being a vampire so Xeno was going to continue contributing his expertise to the fields. To create more tools and weapons to win this unspoken war between the humans and vampires.

Or was it because the better, more efficient the tools and weapons he can create the safer the populous would be. The safer the hunters would be. The safer Stanley will be. No, he’s no longer creating weapons to save humanity. Xeno will create weapons to help Stanley. 

Now all that follows is his work schedule. In order to decrease suspicions, he will keep his schedule the same. After all, Xeno and Stanley did choose a house with a lot of windows for natural lighting but that means if Xeno slept during the day, then the sunlight would easily travel over him and disintegrate him. Besides, his office is in the basement of the Cathedral where no lights would be able to enter anyways. He would be safe there. Most importantly, if he suddenly swapped his schedule from working during the day to working at night, then Stanley would for sure find out. Xeno plans to keep this a secret for a while.

Yes, that was going to be his plan. Right before sunrise, when all the hunters return from their shift, Xeno will head to the Cathedral and pretend everything that happened tonight didn’t happen. Tomorrow, Xeno will pretend that he is still human. He is not a traitor to the human race. He is not because he is still going to create weapons to destroy vampires. Being a vampire will not change the fact that at heart he’s still human. Despite physically being one of them, he isn’t a vampire mentally. And most importantly, he will not consume any blood. He will not drink blood from anyone. That is his promise.

But the blood stained towel around his finger makes him want to lick it. To get a taste of it. Xeno feels… kind of hungry right now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really feel like xeno’s intentions are all over the place in this chapter :/
> 
> next chapter will most like be through stanley’s pov so that will be fun
> 
> twitter: eliem_e


	3. 3. Something Isn't Right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: sadistic stanley

If Stanley could find a way to rip out both Brody’s and Maya’s vocal chords he would. As they near the edge of town, the two hunters couldn’t stop laughing their asses off on how Stanley was startled by a rat and shot it on impulse. But Stanley was sure that there was something, no, someone there. 

At the outskirts of the forest, Stanley and Brody split off from Maya who was on patrol duty tonight. Stanley's squad has a rotational system of who is going to  do patrol duties and forest clear outs. Stanley was the only exception. He exclusively stuck to forest clearouts as he preferred to kill vampires. As captain, there was no one to argue against him even if there are those who felt the same way with their skills.

With gas lit lanterns, Stanley and Brody headed into the forest. There was usually a surplus of vampires in forests as it provides great shade in the day. The reputation of forests being infested with vampires also wards off any civilians from entering, allowing vampires to hide in the day without fear. While this cuts off routes towards some towns and cities, making it extremely inconvenient for travel, it was great for hunters to kill some vampires. All the targets are already in one place. 

“I’ll take care of the east side and we’ll meet up at the northern end,” Stanley said, double checking his ammunition. He always kept more than enough bullets with him, especially since there won’t be anyone carrying any extra for him or providing any cover while he reloads. Though, that’s exactly what Stanley wants. He doesn’t want anyone to drag him down nor slow him down in a fight. He’s more than capable of defending himself.

“Sounds good. I’ll wait for Squad 4 to arrive. They’ll cover the centre and I’ll take the western flank. Should we meet up by the sign?” Brody questions, adjusting his radar to match the correct frequency Xeno instructed them to use. 

“Yeah that can be our checkpoint. See you then,” Stanley says as he begins to walk towards the eastern side of the forest. Turning on his own radar, Stanley started his routine hunt. What Brody and the others didn’t know was that Stanley’s radar was much more capable than theirs. Xeno added some additional features onto his that he didn’t tell or put on the others. The rest of the hunters will get Stanley’s version soon enough but by then Stanley may have a more effective and accurate model. Xeno always gave Stanley the newest technology to test out first. 

Currently, the regular radars will only flash a single dot per vampire in its radius. Where they are and how far it is the radar isn't capable of disclosing. However Stanley’s radar can do just that. It will project a dot with numbers, signifying how far it is from it’s last signal wave and the placement of the dot is where the vampire is relative to Stanley. There were still flaws to the device but Stanley finds it darn handy compared to when they didn’t have them.

The device flashes a white dot saying there was a vampire was only a hundred yards away from where he was. Taking out his pistol, Stanley headed in the direction of the dot. A small radius of light illuminates Stanley and his surroundings thanks to the gas lantern he carried. Even though it gives away his position, Stanley can still shoot down the vampire with ease. Not to mention, the vampires won’t have long ranged weapons as almost all guns were made with traces of silver to prevent vampires from handling firearms. 

The Vampire Hunting Association used to be the military hundreds of years ago before vampires started to appear. When Stanley was younger, he had no doubts that he was going to join the association but after the Vampire Lord of the South killed his entire village, Stanley knew there wasn't anywhere else he wanted to be. The massacre of his town left Stanley and a couple of other people homeless, starving and half dead. There were roughly twenty survivors out of the three hundred people that lived there. Which meant that only 7% of the town survived while the other 93% died. The 93% included his parents. 

Stanley actually wasn’t that close to parents. His interests didn’t align with theirs so apart from sharing the same living space, Stanley didn’t bother with them too much. Though for some reason when they died, it hurt. It fuelled an anger within him that he didn’t even know he had. He always thought he didn’t really care about his parents and that if they were to suddenly drop off the face of the Earth, it wouldn’t bother Stanley because he could fend for himself. Though watching the Lord of the South slaughter them right in front of him elicited a change in opinion in him. That perhaps Stanley did care about them and that despite thinking he would be fine without them, he was wrong. 

Stanley will never forget the dark red eyes of the vampire as he sucked the blood from his mother. It was piercing, cold and overwhelmingly powerful. The way his muscles froze, rendering him still from running. Stanley had never felt so vulnerable in his life. The vampire knew of this, of course he did. So he taunted Stanley, dropping his mother and reaching for his father at a speed faster than his eyes can follow. Stanley prided himself in being strong and courageous but in front of the Vampire Lord of the South, everything melted away revealing a scared and pitiful little boy. It was a feeling he never wanted to witness again. He vowed to himself, that he will be more powerful than them and that he will purge the world of vampires. That was his sacred duty.

After the day of the massacre, Stanley needed a place to stay. His father was a scientist and there was only one person that Stanley remembered he was friends with. They lived a couple of towns away and every summer, Stanley would visit them to play with their son who was the same age as Stanley. He was weird and odd, having a fascination of science that was far greater than both their fathers. At first, Stanley couldn’t see why he was forced to hangout with someone like him but over time he warmed up to him. And now Stanley couldn’t get enough. 

Xeno’s family took Stanley in, fostering him. Now spending more time with Xeno, Stanley realized that his feelings for Xeno were no longer platonic and wanted something more romantic with the scientist. It must have been a miracle that Xeno claimed he felt the same way. 

Though there are times where Stanley spent nights thinking whether the Lord of the South killing his village was what led to Stanley finding the love of his life. Or was he and Xeno always fated to meet and fall in love? Stanley couldn't be certain except for one thing, that day was etched into his mind. It fostered a hatred for vampires that was stronger than the waves of an ocean during a storm. One day, he was going to kill all the vampire lords or die trying. He wasn’t going to let them ruthlessly murder villages, towns and cities and let others share his experiences. He was going to make sure those walking corpses are finally shoved underground and stay there. 

The number on his radar displays the number 5, indicating that the vampire was only 5 yards away. Shoving the radar into his pocket and leaving the lantern on the ground, Stanley advanced onto the vampire. Putting a hand onto the slide of the gun, Stanley pulled back to manually load the gun as his other hand flicked down the safety. 

“If you’re going to kill me, do it quick,” a hoarse voice whispered. The vampire that read onto the radar was slumped by a tree. The grass around him was stained in dark red that can only be dried blood. A corpse lay not too far from the vampire. Judging from the side of its neck, it was also a vampire. There were multiple bruises across the face indicating blunt force and the burns across the chest was probably salt as it peppered across its skin. 

The four most effective weapons against vampires were silver, holy water, salt and garlic. The most effective ones are silver and holy water as they cause the most damage, especially the longer they stay on the body. Just touching silver quickly and without letting the skin linger on it too long won’t end the vampire but the burns would be painful. Holy water is hard to get off so it’s the most effective. Currently salt is in decline as people debate between using it for food or to salt their clothes when they go out. There hasn’t been any shipment of garlic in years, so Stanley rarely ever sees garlic be used against vampires. The item’s effect has become more of an urban legend than a fact. 

“Please,” the vampire rasps out, their lips a pale purple and dry. Stanley stares at the tips of its fangs, wondering how many innocent lives this monster has killed. “Please… just make it quick. I can’t go on living like this…” the vampire’s pale skin glows slightly with the light from the gas lantern Stanley placed a couple paces back. 

This vampire was pathetic and an utter disgrace. Stanley personally believes that the way one should die is to die fighting if they can. This vampire on the other hand, wants to die without a fight. Stanley puts his gun away, planning on not giving it what it wants. 

“And let you get away so easily with what your kind has done to mine?” Stanley snarled, crouching to the vampire's eye level to make direct eye contact with the vampire. Their cheeks were sunken and their eyes were void of life. Their clothing was smothered in dirt and appeared to be too small for them.

“I was born human,” it whispered, “please just kill me. I don’t want to live any longer. Not like this.” Stanley scoffed. This damned vampire thinks it can have it’s way. It thinks that Stanley is going to pity him and forget exactly what traumatized the world for centuries. Reaching towards the knife that sits in his belt on his waist, Stanley pulls it out. 

“Oh I was born human,” Stanley sings sarcastically, twirling the knife. “But right now you’re a vampire. Your brain has been rewired and your instincts and temptations are that of a vampire,” Stanley smirks as he points the knife between the vampire’s eyes. “What makes you any different from them? Because you were born human?! Ha, don’t make me laugh.”

“Then what makes you any different from a murderer then?” The vampire glares back, and Stanley is the least bit impressed. Oh well, Stanley is just going to have to make sure this vampire feels every ounce of pain when it is dying. 

Stanley slowly points the tip of the knife at the vampire’s nose. “Give me a countdown will you?” Stanley asks too politely that it completely contradicts his intentions. 

“Fuc-” and before the vampire can finish Stanley plunges the knife to its nose. The screams were loud and the vampire was squirming uselessly under Stanley. This is what Stanley wanted to see. He wanted to see the vampire in agony before dying by his hand. 

Pulling the knife out, Stanley stabs it into the vampire again. This time in the jugular and pulling down, creating a line that divides its left and right side. Stanley knows this is painful for the vampire and it’s exactly how he wants it. Nothing more can give him joy than seeing these demons suffer. Seeing them in this state, seeing the “high and mighty” vampires, the living nightmares of the world, seeing them like this is simply euphoria. It’s a stress reliever like no other. In that moment, all worries of Xeno left Stanley’s mind. All he could focus on was making this vampire feel every form of pain Stanley could inflict. 

Stanley reaches into his jacket and pulls out a small pouch. It was light and about the size of a plum. Pulling on the drawstring that closed the opening of the pouch, Stanley loosened it so that his forefinger and thumb can fit inside. Pinching at the contents, Stanley removed his fingers from the pouch and began to rub his fingers together. The small crystals proceeded to fall from his hand and land all over the vampire’s body. 

The vampire screamed and Stanley smiled in enjoyment. He continues to sprinkle more salt onto the vampire, relishing in the sight of the vampire twisting uselessly under him. They were on the brink of death but Stanley felt that he didn’t have enough fun yet. So, Stanley decided to rub the salt right into their wounds. Literally. Lifting his left leg, Stanley firmly pressed his boot right onto the bloody mess of a chest the vampire currently donned. Putting more weight onto the front padding of his foot, Stanley swung his heel left and right while the front stays stationary. 

“Please,” the vampire begs, tears running down his cheeks. Stanley didn’t know vampires could cry. Such a humane trait for something that wasn’t human. Was this a form of evolution? If there are more vampires that could exhibit traits such as crying, then they may deceive people before killing them. That’s something Stanley needed to take note of. 

“Please what? Use your big kid words,” Stanley smiled tauntingly as he starts to drag his foot down the line he carved into the vampire. By Stanley’s estimation, this vampire wouldn’t last any longer. They’re not worth a silver bullet so Stanley will use his knife to finish them off. 

“Please tell my-” without another word Stanley threw the knife right into the vampire’s throat, effectively shutting them up. Stanley had no interest in who or what the vampire wanted to say. It’s most likely to relay news to other vampires in the region. Though Stanley couldn’t be sure, but it’s no longer a problem.

Leaving the vampire corpse behind as he went to retrieve the gas lantern, Stanley feels a huge weight be lifted from his shoulders. So much has been on his mind once the sun began to set before Xeno came back. Logically, Xeno should be safe and sound, probably staying in the town he was visiting and renting a room in an inn. Nothing terrible should have happened. Especially since he was the (significantly) smarter of the two. Xeno wouldn’t be foolish, Stanley knows that much. 

Although Xeno doesn’t reject Stanley’s use of violence, Stanley knows that Xeno thinks doing more than what’s necessary is inelegant. Meanwhile Stanley can’t help but admire pain and suffering a vampire he makes them goes through. The look on their faces as they watch Stanley be in full control as he takes their “life” away from them. Stanley loves watching the blood drain from their body, burns spotting their paper white skin and most of all, Stanley loved listening to them beg for mercy. From what their kind did to Stanley, to the human race, what Stanley is doing is miniscule compared to their sins. Not that Stanley truly realizes this but the reason Stanley does all of this wasn't because of something stupid like vengeance or "evening out the score," it was because Stanley loved being in power. 

The rest of the way towards the signage on the northern end of the forest was much quicker and did not take much time. Most of the vampires he found he killed on sight and didn’t bother with going through the long torturous method of what he did with the first. There were a couple of over confident vampires that he decided needed to be humbled. However, by the time he was done, the sun was beginning to rise on the horizon. 

“You’re later than usual,” Brody commented as Stanley joined him. Stanley understood what he meant. Between Stanley and Brody, Stanley was usually the first to complete his section and the squads would always take an excruciating long time to complete their assigned section. However this time, Stanley was the last to arrive. If he didn’t spend so much time prolonging the deaths of some of the vampires then he might’ve been hours ahead. 

Checking the radar, it showed that there were no more vampires in the area, at least in it’s mile radius. The checkpoint they stood at was at the edge of the cliff that overlooked a vast forest that stretched for miles and miles. In the far distance, the naked eye could make out a castle. It’s the supposed Vampire Lord of the North’s place of residence but upon an investigation that Stanley led, the castle was empty. There has been no signs of life for years in that building. If they had found the Vampire Lord, no doubt Stanley would’ve killed them. They must have moved residence to somewhere the Vampire Hunting Association couldn’t find. 

“Let’s head back,” Stanley stated as he began to walk down the trail back to town. Brody wordlessly followed and so did Squad 4. They couldn’t complain around Stanley anyways.

As hopeful as Stanley may be about when Xeno will return, he knows that there’s a slim chance that he’ll be truly back. He knows his boyfriend well and Xeno will never do anything to put himself in harm’s way. Which is why he’s surprised to hear Luna report that Xeno was already back at the Cathedral and was in the basement working. 

“Yeah he came in like half an hour ago,” Luna says as she fills out some paperwork as everyone files into the Cathedral and submit their reports. 

“He got some really weird fashion going on,” Carlos chirps in as Max continues. 

“Yeah he got a belt around his neck and some weird claws that he attached to his gloves. Look man, I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you but Xeno’s got weird taste.” 

“Thanks for the information. Brody you’re filling out the papers for tonight,” Stanley says as he drops off his vampire hunting weapons and picks up his regular knives and guns. Instead of heading home like he usually does, Stanley heads towards the right side aisle where the staircase for the basement was located. 

On the main floor, the Cathedral was beautiful. The light filtered through the stained glass windows provided an artistry unlike any others. The basement however, was stoney, cold and dark. Stanley was ready to commission a new building just for Xeno to use as his lab if it meant that his work environment was nicer. But the latter said it was fine as it would be too much of a hassle moving all the equipment. As far as Stanley was concerned, Xeno was the head scientist of this branch of the Associations and had many assistance doing some calculations and writing. Though, most of the work was done by Xeno himself which makes him quite isolated most of the time. 

Opening the door to his office, Stanley sees Xeno writing away at his desk. A flurry of happiness rises in his chest. Without wasting much time, Stanley advanced towards Xeno. Xeno stops mid-writing once he notices Stanley’s presence and turns around to greet him.

“Good morning Stan, how was your shift-” Xeno says before Stanley engulfs him in a tight hug. Snuggling his face into Xeno’s neck, Stanley wraps his arm around Xeno’s shoulder and hugs him tightly. Xeno tenses up, most likely surprised at Stanley’s sudden act of affection. At home, Stanley was the touchy type but at work, he was strict and disciplined. He never showed any intimacy around Xeno at work which is likely why Xeno appeared to be so nervous. 

Loosening his hold on Xeno, Stanley moved straight for his lips. Stanley was hungry for the taste of Xeno again, he had been deprived of it for 24 hours and he couldn’t just wait for them to go home. However, Xeno seemed to think otherwise. As Stanley tried to get him to part his lips in order to deepen the kiss, Xeno kept them firmly shut. 

“Aw what’s the matter? Are you nervous of someone catching us?” Stanley teased as he looked Xeno straight into his eyes. Stanley notices the belt around his neck, such an odd fashion choice. Slipping a finger between the belt and Xeno’s neck, Stanley gave it a light tug. “And what the hell is this?” 

“Yes I am nervous about someone catching us. We’re to remain professional, remember? And as for the belt,” Xeno says, pushing Stanley away to create some distance between the two, “it was a new fashion trend among the youths. I decided to give it a little try.” Xeno is obviously lying. He has a nervous habit of swallowing his spit every ten seconds and averts eye contact whenever he is lying. Such obvious traits that try as he might, he can’t hide it from Stanley.

“Bullshit,” Stanley calls out. Xeno is startled by his sudden callout. Smirking, Stanley grabs a hold of Xeno’s waist, and sits down on Xeno’s chair while effectively bringing him down onto his lap. “You can’t trick me Xeno, I can see right through you.” 

Stanley can feel Xeno’s nervousness and he blanks out on what to say. So, Stanley decides to help him out a bit. “You’re just as touch-starved of me as I am of you. That’s why this,” Stanley tugs at the belt around his neck,” is here. Though I admire your self control because I wouldn’t be able to help myself if you didn’t stop me.” 

“Well that’s because how in God’s name would we be able to explain what we’re doing?” 

“Everyone knows we’re seeing each other. They should just mind their own business.”

“But we should keep our work life and private life separate.” Stanley narrowed his eyes. Xeno never used to be like this. He would often let Stanley indulge in whatever he would like so long as it was quick and brief. Stanley was originally planning on some quick kisses before dragging Xeno home where the real fun began but he definitely didn’t expect Xeno to shut down his advances like that. 

Pouting, Stanley ran his right hand down Xeno’s arm. It was lean without any muscular definition, just about what you would expect from a scientist. Once he reaches his hand, Stanley interlocks their fingers. 

“What’s with these claws? Are you turning into a cat?” 

“There’s, uh, some evidence concerning the processes of chemically plating silvers on a mass production scale which could cause some long term negative health effects. You see, unlike other precious metals, silver is the only one with a plus one charge while the others are usually at a plus two charge. Due to that, there’s a chance that-” Xeno rants and he had already lost Stanley the moment anything scientific came up. If Xeno was lying about science, Stanley wouldn’t be able to tell. Though Stanley doesn’t need to worry about that, Xeno would never lie about science.

“Okay, okay I get it. Silver is bad. Gotcha,” Stanley says, hugging Xeno tighter. Pressing his cheek next to Xeno with the intentions of at least being able to breathe in his scent, Stanley smells something that he didn’t expect to smell. “Why do I smell blood on you?”

The way Xeno tensed up at the question was too obvious to miss. Even a child would’ve seen it. Did something happen to him when he came back from the town? 

“I had a terrible nosebleed last night. Lasted around twenty minutes at ten minute intervals. I seemed to get it under control now though,” Xeno answered. Stanley couldn’t pinpoint the origin of the blood but that would make sense he supposes. 

“Are you alright? Do you need to see a doctor?” Stanley asked and Xeno shook his head, saying he was fine now. Stanley takes a mental note to check up on Xeno later but he leans back in the chair and lets out a yawn. 

“I’m alright Stan. You should head home and sleep. I’ll see you there tonight,” Xeno says, kissing Stanley’s cheek before standing up. Stanley was about to brush it off before Xeno continued, “seriously Stan, go home and sleep. I’ll be there before sundown.” Pouting, Stanley tried the puppy eye look to convince Xeno to let him stay but Xeno only waved a hand at him. The look works on a lot of people, just not Xeno apparently. That or it just doesn’t work when Stanley does it. 

The next couple of days, Stanley seriously began to worry about Xeno. He’s always locked up in his office, working his ass off non-stop. He’s not eating or sleeping anymore and from the time he came back from his trip, he’s gotten so deathly pale that Stanley is convinced that something is gravely wrong. Hell, he even started working day and night. Stanley doesn’t have a clue to what the hell is wrong with him and why he’s making himself work until he dies. 

“Don’t go to work today,” Stanley says as he puts on his jacket, ready to go for his shift. Tonight he has specifically requested to patrol the streets with the intentions of checking in on Xeno every hour or so. He didn’t tell Xeno of this because knowing him, he’ll just scold Stanley until the sun rises. 

“But the bullets are almost ready. I can finish them tonight,” Xeno counters as he approaches Stanley in his infamous lab coat, only he switched to a black one instead.

“Well if you finish them tonight we still won’t be able to test them out until 24 hours later. Just go to bed and head to work in the morning. That’s about as much leeway as I’m ready to give you. If it was completely up to me you wouldn’t even be stepping out of this house until next week.” If only Xeno would do as he’s been told. 

“I need those hours to finalize everything. I have to make sure those bullets are working at their best possible performance for testing,” Xeno says irritated as he grabs his coat but Stanley yanks it out of his hand. 

“You’re staying home and that’s non-negotiable!” 

“Who are you?! My mother?! Quit nagging over me, we're both grown adults that can take care of ourselves.”

“Oh yeah? What about those days where you cried like a baby because I wanted to hunt solo? What about that huh?”

“That’s because I was worried about you! But this is different!” 

“How is it different?! How is it any different because as far as I’m concerned you’re just acting all selfish because you’re always doing what you want but not what I want!” 

“What?” 

“All I’m saying is that these past few days you’ve looked absolutely shit. For fuck’s sake you look like you’re knee deep in the grave. Just sleep in for one night. Even if you don’t want to. You sleeping for at least four hours will calm my conscience because every day and night I’m stressing over whether or not you’re actually sick and whether or not you’ll die at any moment.” Without giving Xeno any time to argue back, Stanley opened the front door and stepped outside. 

The air was chilly and Stanley could see his breath in the air. Reaching into his jacket, he pulls out his cigarette package. These weren’t the ones Xeno made, Stanley finished those a couple of days ago. The amount of stress and anxiety Stanley felt made him smoke nearly every other hour a day. Even to him, smoking two packs in that one day was godly unhealthy. He’ll consider himself lucky if he manages to reach the age of 35. 

Putting a cigarette in between his lips, Stanley lights up the end, using one hand to protect his flame from the winds. Once it was lit, he took a deep breath, inhaling the fumes and enjoying the feeling of it in his blackened lungs before exhaling it back out. The smoke that he breaths back out looks different from his breath, it is much darker and denser. 

“You’re taking the street patrol? That’s unlike you Stan,” Maya says as she gears up for the shift. She has agreed to swap shifts so tonight she’ll be heading with Brody to the forest to clear out some vampires there. 

“I wanted to check in on Xeno at hourly intervals” he says, filling his holsters with the pistols. 

“Is he alright? Looks pretty ill to me,” Brody adds. Sighing, Stanley massaged his temples. 

“I don’t know, he won’t go see a doctor no matter how hard I try. Just getting him to stay home was a struggle.”

“Hey Stanley, you don’t think that the day he got back from the town he might’ve been attacked,” Maya suggests and the two men look at her in surprise.

“Now that you say it, he has been exerting behaviour that does match a vampire’s,” Brody says, rubbing his chin in thought. Stanley glares at the two of them, baffled that they could even think that Xeno could be a vampire. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, if he was he either would’ve killed me or I would’ve killed him already.”

“But can you?” Brody asks, almost accusingly.

“Can I what?” These two were surely testing Stanley’s patience. 

“Can you kill Xeno if he was a vampire?” Gritting his teeth, Stanley thinks it over. Of course he can right? He’s been taught to kill anyone no matter their importance. If he was watching a vampire struggle and slowly die then certainly he’s cold hearted enough to actually kill Xeno. He’ll give Xeno the easy way out, Stanley won’t make him suffer. So yes of course he can kill Xeno. Stanley himself won’t have any reason to live anymore so he’ll just join Xeno later. 

“Let’s get going.” 

This ends up being the answer that Brody and Maya hears as they watch Stanley leave the Cathedral, hand gripped tightly around the pistol that sits on his waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maybe i'll do alternating perspectives per chapter because i think it'll better showcase the thoughts of both stanley and xeno
> 
> twitter: eliem_e


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